Remember Me
by ShenKeeper
Summary: The unlikely pairing of a Malfoy and a Weasley is bound to come with challenges. But Draco's greatest challenge will come when a traumatic injury alters their charted path. Suddenly, "together forever" may no longer be a possibility. [DMxGW] [HPxGW]
1. Chapter 1

**Remember Me**

 **Chapter One**

* * *

If someone had told Draco Malfoy two years ago that he would marry a Weasley, he would have told them to lay off the Firewhiskey while fighting off a gag reflex.

But now, on a Saturday morning eight years after the war against Voldemort, the Malfoy heir found himself in the most peculiar of circumstances. Sitting in the dining room of Faust House, Draco idly turned a page in the morning's issue of _The Daily Prophet_. Spread before him on the polished, dark wood table was a small array of breakfast treats—eggs, toast, ham, and jelly tarts. Jupie, their house-elf, had made sure that Draco had a steaming cup of coffee waiting for him when he entered the dining room and was now completely out of sight. Probably reading a romance novel that Ginny had bought for her, if Draco had to guess.

If Lucius Malfoy ever found out how kindly Ginny treated their house-elf, Draco would be disinherited.

Faust House had been a compromise between Ginny and himself. Bigger than what she had wanted and smaller than what he had expected. Set on the outskirts of Hogsmeade, it was the perfect distance for Draco to be able to fly into work as Slytherin Head and Potions Master at Hogwarts and was outside the school's wards for Ginny to be able to floo to Holyhead Harpies' headquarters. Renovations on the building had taken most of the last year, only allowing them to move in together shortly after their engagement in January.

So, here he was. Draco Malfoy. Potions Master of Hogwarts; fiancé to star chaser of the Holyhead Harpies, Ginerva Molly Weasley; and currently the caretaker of Arnold the Pygmy Puff as the fluff ball was eating bits of toast that Draco dropped on the floor for him.

And all of Draco's own volition. Who would have thought?

" _Bloody hell!"_

Draco's lips tugged into a smirk as he heard a loud _thud_ from upstairs.

"Well, Ginny's awake, Arnold." Draco said nonchalantly.

A door slammed and there was another scream of both frustration and panic.

"And now she's forgotten the drawer Jupie puts her uniforms in."

After a few moments of relative silence, there was a sound of thunderous footsteps going down the stairs. Exhaling a breath, Draco folded up the newspaper and sat up in his seat. Lifting his gaze to the entry of the dining room, he had to fight back a chuckle.

The youngest of the Weasley family was attempting to tame her fiery mid-back length hair into a ponytail, muttering curses under her breath all the while. Dressed in her hastily put on practice uniform of gold and green, Ginny rushed towards the dining room with a cry of, "Merlin's beard! If I'm late again Jones is going to kill me!"

Draco stood up as Ginny entered the room, amusement apparent in his gray eyes, "Good morning to you too."

Grabbing a piece of toast, the redhead glared at the blonde, "Sod off, Malfoy. Why don't you ever wake me up in time for practice!"

Draco snorted, "I'm not your mother. Get up on your own."

"Ugh!" Ginny exclaimed before shoving the piece of toast into her mouth. Bending down to give Arnold a loving pat on the head, the chaser swallowed and stood to her full height as she addressed her husband-to-be. "You're no help, you know that? No help _at all_."

The Slytherin shrugged before wrapping his arms around the woman in front of him. Smirking down at her, he replied cheekily, "Last time I tried to wake you up, you Bat Bogey hexed me. You really think I'm going to risk _that_ again?"

Ginny's lips spread into a wide grin before she laughed and leaned up to kiss her fiancé briefly, "Coward! You could at least try!"

"No way." Draco snorted before smirking and pressing his lips to hers once again. Holding onto his fiancée, the Slytherin basked in the scent of her hair, the feeling of her body against his, and the taste of her lips. It was moments like these that he turned back to whenever Lucius and Narcissa questioned him about his choice of a bride. The moments where everything he ever wanted in the world was right in front of him. These were the moments that reminded him that he knew, without any hesitation, that he loved Ginny Weasley.

Breaking apart from their kiss and turning her head to quickly peck Draco on the cheek, Ginny pulled away from the man's embrace, "I've got to go!"

Quickly pulling away from the potions master and turning her back to him, Ginny emitted a sharp, surprised yelp when she felt her fiancé's hand connect solidly with her backside. Whipping her head back to glare at the blonde, she was equally infuriated and amused to see him smirking smugly at her.

"I love you." Draco winked.

Growling under her breath, Ginny was planting another, more feverish kiss on Draco's lips before she could stop herself. Gripping onto the blonde's shoulders, the redhead felt familiar hands pressing against her hips, pulling her closer to him. Remembering that she was already late to practice, Ginny scraped together every ounce of will-power to forcing herself to pull away. Pausing to glare at the man before her, though there was no malice in her gaze, she spoke in a voice just above a whisper, "I hate how much I love you, Draco."

Exhaling a deep sigh, the star chaser dashed for the fireplace in the adjoining living room. "I'll see you after practice!" She shouted while grabbing her Firebolt Platinum with one hand and a handful of Floo powder in the other. Flashing her fiancé one last smile, the redhead shouted with careful diction before throwing down the floo powder, "Holyhead Harpies Common Room!"

A second later, the witch disappeared in an eruption of crackling emerald flames and Draco found himself alone in Faust House. Staring at the fireplace where Ginny had disappeared in, Draco was only broken from his thoughts by the hungry mewling of a pygmy puff, whose primary focus was on getting more toast from the Malfoy heir.

"Honestly Arnold, you've got to cut back. You're practically a perfect circle even underneath all the fluff."

* * *

The quaffle sped through the air of the Quidditch pitch and Ginny had to dive to catch it within her brown gloved hands. Fighting against boisterous winds that seemed intent on shoving her off her broomstick, the redhead ignored the whistling in her ears as she flew up, hoping to gain a better vantage point on the three golden hoops.

Practice today consisted mostly of skirmishes between all team members of the Holyhead Harpies, both first and second string. Although the Harpies had practiced in worse weather than the windiness afforded on this Saturday, and had certainly won games under more menacing skies, this was the fourth practice in a row with less than desirable weather. The weariness of such practices was beginning to show in most of the players.

So, when Gwenog Jones, the team captain sounded her whistle, a signal to regroup on the ground, a surge of hope coursed through the Harpies team members. Clutching the quaffle in one arm and holding onto her broomstick with the other, Ginny decelerated into an angled, floating position. Looking down to where Gwenog's whistling had come from, she saw the captain already close to the ground.

"Come on, ladies!" Gwenog shouted, using the _Sonorus_ charm to make her voice thunderous and easily heard around the whole Quidditch pitch. "We'll spend the rest of practice doing drills inside. I've had enough of this blasted weather." Cheers could be heard from several chasers, Ginny included, as they immediately began dropping from the skies.

"Whoohoo!" Ginny cried out, readjusting her hold on the quaffle, she began a steady descent to the grass below, smiling and laughing at her teammates around her. Despite the wind, she was in no hurry to get inside, preferring to let her other teammates enter Holyhead Harpies headquarters before her.

"How's the wedding planning, Weasley?" One of the back-up beaters, Ebony Stone, asked while sailing over to the redhead.

"Yeah! We're all invited, right?" Crooned the team's main keeper, Felicia McFinn.

"Of course!" Ginny grinned, turning her head to look back at Felicia, "But you better bring a bloody good present or I'm not letting you in!"

"Weasley, look out!"

It happened suddenly. Even the warning only gave Ginny half a second to react.

Turning her head towards the ground where the voice had called to her from, Ginny locked gazes with Alice Yates, a back-up beater. Next to her was a Quidditch ball container—with no bludger inside it. Didn't Ginny see her catch it after Gwenog had ordered their descent?

Hearing a whizzing sound that was rapidly getting louder, Ginny didn't even have a chance to face her opponent before it collided with the backside of her head. Lights, more brilliant than fifty of the Weasley's Wizarding wildfire whiz-bangs combined, erupted behind her brown eyes. The redhead's grip on the quaffle and her broom no longer seemed relevant to her floating position in the air and her muscles lost all tension. Losing consciousness, Ginny did not register the exclamations and gasps of horror as her body plummeted to the ground.

" _Wingardium Leviosa_!" Someone who had managed to grab their wand shouted, but her accuracy suffered in the exchange for speed and the spell missed.

The youngest Weasley didn't feel as her bones cracked in protest of the unforgiving ground and blood trickled out of her mouth. All Ginny knew since the bludger rammed into her head, was darkness.

* * *

The candles on Draco's work desk flickered and made the shadows dance across the essay he was reading. Inhaling a breath and rubbing his eyes, the professor leaned back in his seat for a moment. At least he was almost done with grading. Glancing up at the clock hanging on the wall, Draco noted that a few hours had already passed. Ginny should be done with practice soon. Maybe she would like to go out for lunch. Hadn't she mentioned a new tea shop recently—?

Draco's thoughts were interrupted as his fireplace erupted in green flames, accompanied by a sudden clamor. Jumping up from his seat, Draco's hand immediately grabbed his wand which was resting on the table next to him. With eyes narrowed and jaw firmly set, the blonde was surprised to see the face of Gwenog Jones in his fireplace. Suddenly, his heart fell and his stomach tied into knots.

Something terrible had happened.

"Mr. Malfoy…" Gwenog began in a firm and even tone, "There's been an accident."

 _ **To be continued…**_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hello Friends! I started writing this fic to practice writing, so any constructive criticism or encouragement is welcome. I'm nowhere near a Harry Potter encyclopedia so please don't expect every detail of this story to be spot on according to the Harry Potter universe; especially what happens past the original 7 books/8 movies. In fact, it's safer to assume we'll be deviating far from the path that J.K. Rowling originally intended for her characters.

Overall, I'm writing because I want to have fun. So, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the ride!

 **Disclaimer:** This story was inspired and is somewhat based off the movie, "The Vow."


	2. Chapter 2

**Remember Me**

 **Chapter Two**

* * *

Draco arrived in an abandoned alleyway with a reverberating crack, his robes swirling around him before settling down after his apparition. Quickly glancing over his shoulder, the Malfoy heir ensured that there were no eye witnesses to his teleportation before stepping out of the alleyway and into a bustling street. A spark of Draco's old anger and pride flared within him as he crossed the street towards Purge and Dowse, irritated that the wizarding kind had to succumb to Muggle fragility and hide the most advanced hospital in Britain within a condemned Muggle store. He understood the disdain purebloods had towards Muggles, and truthfully, he still felt pangs of it himself despite Ginny's patience in teaching him a different perspective towards life.

But there were more important matters at hand than philosophies and politics.

Once Ginny's Quidditch team captain relayed the news that his fiancée had been downed by a bludger, it had taken all his will power not to immediately make his way to St. Mungo's where she was admitted. Instead, Draco mustered a indifferent expression and listened to Jones' explanation of the traumatic event. One of the beaters had lost her grip on a bludger while attempting to put it back into its box. Not wanting to risk her wand breaking during practices, Alice Yates always left her wand in a locker, as did many other team members. Therefore, she had been unable to perform a spell that may have nullified the bludger. With most of the Holyhead Harpies already inside for indoor drills, there had not been many witches left that could have countered the bludger for the distracted Ginny. The one teammate that had at least tried to break Ginny's fall had missed her mark.

Incompetent witches.

Pushing through the crowds of muggles during the after-lunch rush, the potions master confidently strode through the window of Purge and Dowse and immediately felt a sense of relief as magic returned to the air around him. Healers in their lime green uniforms scurried here and there without paying the newcomer even a momentary glance. Although the wizarding world was no longer at war, the hospital did not seem to have slowed down much. There was no shortage of Faux Floo being sold in the market, broken wands backfiring, or magical creatures causing mayhem for St. Mungo's healers.

"Draco, you're here."

The blonde's attention snapped to his left where he saw the a slightly graying Arthur Weasley start to stand up from his seat in a rickety wooden chair. The older man wore humble raiment, all simple and neutral colors. Of Ginny's parents, Arthur had been the first to offer Draco acceptance. Molly, on the other hand…

Well, Draco was still working on that.

"Arthur." Draco greeted as he clasped the Weasley patriarch's hand firmly. "Where is she?"

"She's in the recovery wing now." Arthur said with a tired sigh, "Been hell keeping the press out." Running a hand over his head of thinning hair, the Ministry employee began walking slowly towards the maze of hallways leading to the first floor's wards and rooms. "They had already brought Ginny here when Jones flooed us."

Draco still resented that Gwenog had called Ginny's parents before him. Some rubbish about them not being married yet and closest of kin.

"And the extent of the damage? They were able to heal her?"

Arthur nodded slowly as they turned a corner, "We think so. The Healers said they'd do another assessment once she woke up from their sleeping charm."

Stopping at a pair of double wooden doors with gold plated handles, Draco briefly glanced at the "South Recovery Wing" sign that hung above the entrance before he and Arthur pushed through. Inside was a candle-lit room, longer than it was wide, with rows of hospital beds separated by pale brown curtains. There were few occupants in the room, maybe only two or three occupying the twenty beds or so. Though the hospital did not discriminate between patients—muggle-borns, purebloods, celebrities, or common-folk—this wing seemed to be reserved for those that needed more privacy or protection.

At the far end of the room, by one of the last beds, Draco caught a glimpse of fiery red hair as someone walked from one side of the hospital bed to the other. Sucking in a breath, the blonde felt his chest tighten as his hands clenched into fists. Despite the stoic look on his face, the Malfoy heir felt adrenaline already pumping through his veins.

More frightening than a Dementor's Kiss, deadlier than The Killing Curse, and more dangerous than an angry full-blooded Veela was none other than the woman at Ginny's bedside.

Molly Weasley.

She had been the one to kill his crazy Aunt Bellatrix, after all.

As Draco and Arthur approached Ginny's hospital bed, a few more people came into view from around the tan curtain. Ronald Weasley was present, sitting in a wooden chair by the wall; Hermione Weasley, with a slight bulge to her belly, was sitting next to him. Molly Weasley was standing next to his fiancée's bed side, moving some of Ginny's hair from her forehead. The usually passionate, energetic chaser lay completely still underneath the white sheets save for the gentle rise and fall of her chest. Her features were calm and peaceful.

"Draco!" Hermione breathed out when she saw them approaching, causing her husband's head to lift and stare at the blonde with mixed emotions.

After all these years, Ronald still never learned to look like anything other than confused.

 _Be nice._ Ginny would have told Draco in a hushed whisper and a swift, bony elbow to his ribs. The thought of Ginny's smile helped Draco to find the strength to perk up a little.

"Hermione." Draco said evenly but with a hint of warmth, making a conscious effort to use her first name. Next, his steel gaze met with the bright, flashing blue eyes of the Weasley's youngest son. There always seemed to be a threat behind those eyes whenever the former Keeper looked at Draco—and no one knew how much the Slytherin wanted to take him up on it.

However, instead of acting on his baser instincts, Draco merely nodded his head at the other man, "Ronald."

Turning his attention to Molly, the blonde wasn't surprised that she hadn't even acknowledged his presence. She was a terribly loving, nurturing woman, but she also knew how to hold a grudge. "Mrs. Weasley." Draco said carefully while standing up straight.

Molly barely glanced at him while saying politely through pursed lips, "Hello, dear." Arthur walked up to his wife and placed his hands on her shoulders in a gentle, soothing way.

"Come over and sit, Draco." Hermione offered, waving her wand and summoning a chair to float over from the other side of the room. She sat the chair next to her with a genuine smile. The brunette had apparently come from work and was still in her Ministry robes.

Despite past differences, Hermione had come to accept Draco rather quickly and even helped to keep her husband in line around him. Draco knew this was no doubt due to the closeness that Hermione and Ginny shared. He was under no illusion that Ginny didn't talk about him to Hermione, and he honestly didn't mind. As a result of it, in a just a couple months, the Ministry witch began to see him as more than the prat she had met at Hogwarts and more of equals. To Draco's credit, he in turn looked past his prejudices against Hermione's Hogwarts House and muggle-born status and learned to respect her for the brilliant witch she was. After all, this once bushy-haired beaver had bested him in all their classes throughout school.

Exhaling a breath, Draco first walked up to Ginny's side and gingerly laid his hand on hers. He didn't miss the strained look on Molly's face as they stood across each other. But the potion master's focus was on the fiery woman lying in front of him.

 _She will be okay,_ he told himself. Soon enough, she would be raving about a new tea shop she wanted them to visit or demanding for him to stop eating all her cauldron cakes. He didn't even like sweets. He just ate them to annoy her.

Squeezing her hand in his for just a second longer, Draco then accepted the seat that Hermione had pulled up for him. Despite being together for over a year, his relations with the Weasleys was still tense at best. Without George around to break down the ice and barriers, he was undoubtedly managing the shop, this was going to be an awkward reunion. So, although he did not like being quiet and standing on the sidelines when it came to Ginny, he understood that, for now, Ginny was first the Weasley's daughter and sister before his girlfriend and soon-to-be wife. For all his father's faults, the elder Malfoy had taught Draco something about respect and family relations. So for now, he would hold his tongue and follow the Weasley's lead. He was ambitious if nothing else. And that meant that no matter how long it took for this family of redheads to accept his true intentions, he would never give up.

Hermione started some polite, idle conversation between herself and Draco, with the other family members present occasionally joining in. But all of them were distracted, carefully watching for any sign of consciousness from the youngest Weasley.

* * *

Draco had begun dozing off when Ginny made the first signs of waking up just passed dinner time.

A gentle rustling of the sheets was all it took for steel gray eyes to snap back to attention. Standing up abruptly from his seat against the wall, Draco held his breath until he saw Ginny's chocolate brown eyes flutter open. At her side was Molly and Hermione, both looking at her excitedly.

"Mum? 'Mione?" Ginny's voice cracked and she coughed a few times while pushing herself up into a seated position. "Where am I? What happened?"

"Oh, Ginny dear!" Molly exclaimed with a cheerful laugh as she enveloped her youngest daughter in a hug. "Be careful now, don't sit up too soon."

"You're at St. Mungo's." Hermione supplied tenderly, beaming at her sister-in-law as she placed a hand on Ginny's and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You were knocked out by a bludger during Quidditch practice."

"Merlin's beard! Seriously? " Ginny sighed. "Ron's not here to rub it in, is he?"

Ron stood up next to Draco, the sound of his chair scrapping on the floor caused Ginny's attention to turn in his direction, "You bet I am." Smiling, the older brother was next to wrap Ginny in a careful embrace, "Glad to know your head is still harder than a bludger."

But the youngest Weasley did not reply to her brother with a quick retort or witty comment. Instead, her brown eyes focused on the only Slytherin in the room. At first her eyes widened upon seeing him, but now they were narrowed into suspicious slits. Quickly disengaging from her hug with Ron, she asked wearily, "Can someone please explain to me why Malfoy is here?"

Suddenly feeling misplaced, which Draco had never felt in Ginny's presence before, the blonde's mouth parted to answer and then quickly shut when he realized she had not addressed him.

Arthur had left the hospital to rest his aging body for work the next day, so that left only Molly, Ron, and Hermione to blink and gape at each other in confusion.

"Because…" Hermione began carefully, as if walking on thin ice, "…he's your fiancé?"

Ginny barked out a laugh, "Like hell he is! Him and every other fanboy in the Harpies Fan Club." Pushing the covers off herself, the redhead was revealed to still be wearing her practice uniform, though without any footwear or guards. Throwing her legs over to one the side, Ginny began gingerly sliding off the bed.

"Ginny! What do you think you're doing young lady!" Molly said sharply, attempting to push Ginny back into the bed.

"Mum, please!" Ginny said, batting her mom's hand away, "I feel like I've been lying down for _years_. I want to stretch my legs." Managing to stand on her own two feet, Ginny repeated her earlier question, "So really, what's the Amazing Bouncing Ferret doing here? And where's Dad?"

Confusion twisting all his thoughts and emotions, Draco pressed forward and made his way to Ginny's side. He had tried to be polite by sticking to the sidelines, but like hell was he just going to stand by when his fiancée… when she…

When she what? Didn't remember him?

"Ginny," Draco said slowly. Gazing down at her softly, the potions master attempted to grasped one of her hands in his. To his surprise however, Ginny quickly twisted away and recoiled at the slightest touch from him.

"Back _off_ , Malfoy!" Ginny made a face mixed with confusion and disgust, "Don't act so familiar!"

"I'm here because I was worried about you!" Draco suddenly blurted, feeling his frustration over the day's course of events reaching their peak. "What the hell are you playing at, Ginny?"

Before Ginny had a chance to respond, the double doors slammed open and running footsteps could be heard making their way towards the confused party. Ginny's puzzled gaze floated from Draco's concerned face to the newcomer of the recovery wing. Messy, jet black hair concealed the legendary lightning bolt scar and a calloused wand hand pushed up a pair of black-rimmed glasses. Panting slightly and dressed in a brown trench coat typical of Aurors, the man now before them offered a sheepish smile, "Hi. Sorry, I got here as soon as I could. We just got back from an assignment."

"Harry!" Ginny suddenly beamed, more enthusiasm in her voice than any time before since waking. Ginny padded over to Harry as quickly as her still somewhat weak legs would take her. A wide smile on her face, the chocolate-eyed woman nearly fell into the Auror's embrace.

"Gin!" Harry smiled as he hugged her, "I'm glad to see you're okay."

"Of course!" Ginny giggled.

Draco's jaw clenched. Ginny was _giggling_ at Harry Potter.

"Nothing a few cauldron cakes and butterbeers in good company can't fix." Ginny winked.

What. The. _Hell_. Did she just ask Harry-bloody-Potter on a date?

What happened next completely took the Slytherin off-guard. Leaning against the Boy-Who-Lived, Ginny pushed herself up onto her toes and before anyone could blink, she pressed her lips firmly and unashamedly against Harry's.

Without thinking, Draco's hand went into his dress robe to fetch his wand but a gentle hand on his arm bid him to stop. Breathing heavily, steel eyes glared at the one who dared to defy him and was met with the brown eyes of Hermione Weasley. Shaking her head left to right, Hermione gave Draco's arm a squeeze and the Slytherin forced himself to lower his hand.

What the bloody fuck was going on here?

Ginny broke the kiss and was smiling at a wide-eyed, confused, and pleasantly surprised Harry Potter. "Now Harry, can you please explain to me why these wankers think I'm engaged to Malfoy?"

 _ **To be continued…**_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Welcome back, Friends! Lots of narrative about Draco's perspective in life and his place within the Weasley family. Hope it was insightful.

I wanted to make a nod towards a friend's comment on the suspension of belief required for this story. I fully admit, the likelihood of Ginny _not_ being able to dodge a bludger is slim. Which is why she's embarrassed about it and I hopefully created a situation where it _could_ happen. After all, nothing's impossible.

But overall, I hope you'll join me in suspending belief in favor of having a fun story to get lost in for a while. Thanks for all who have stopped by, reviewed, followed, etc. You are so motivating!


	3. Chapter 3

**Remember Me**

 **Chapter Three**

* * *

Draco was raised in wizarding aristocracy where appearances, reputation, and detachment were meant to dictate every word, action, and decision that he ever made.

But he had never truly fit into that mold, no matter how good his facades became. Least of all when matters concerned his family.

So, when Draco's fist connected solidly with Harry's face, he didn't feel the slightest bit of remorse.

"Draco!"

"Harry!"

Narrowed gray eyes watched as the Boy-Who-Lived stumbled backwards in surprise of the blow to his jaw. Hermione had implored Draco not to use his wand and he had listened. But after seeing the way Ginny was staring at Harry…

Draco never thought that he'd ever be jealous of Harry Potter again in his life, and the sudden reawakening of those bitter feelings filled him with a shame that set his blood to boil.

"Keep your lips to yourself, Potter." The Slytherin spat out like a snake's threatening hiss. So distracted by his rage, Draco did not notice the white sparks sailing towards him. The spell hit Draco hard on his shoulder and sent him flying up into the air. His body spun horizontally once before slamming into the wall and falling to the floor in a heap of black robes. Draco counted himself lucky for narrowly missing the bed opposite of Ginny's as he glared up with narrowed eyes at a smirking Ronald who still had his wand raised.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for an excuse to do that." Ronald said smugly, daring Draco with his gaze to fight back.

"Are you all right, Harry?" Hermione was at her best friend's side faster than lightning, her wand already out and a healing charm on the tip of her tongue. Throwing back an exasperated look at Ronald, the brunette spoke authoritatively, "Ronald! Put your wand away this instant!"

The youngest Weasley also moved to Harry's side, placing a hand on his arm and ignoring his dismissive comments of, "I'm fine, really" and "It's okay." Glaring up at the blonde man, Ginny shouted, "Malfoy! What the hell is wrong with you?"

The blonde turned his attention to the youngest Gryffindor in the room, jaw clenched. Gingerly getting back onto his feet, his stare never left Ginny's enraged and confused face. He had seen that expression plenty of times. She had always had a temper. But it wasn't the same this time. Beneath the frustration in her brown eyes there was no warmth there for him. "You really don't remember us," he said flatly. Draco was no longer asking if this was true. He knew it. He just needed to hear her say it.

In her own rage over the whole situation, Ginny almost missed the despondent and hurt look in Draco's eyes. His intent stare almost gave her pause, but she brushed it away in an instant. Was this holier-than-thou pureblood, second-rate wizard really so arrogant to think that he could just show up and act as if he knew her and then punch Harry and she wouldn't fight back? As if!

"No!" Ginny said easily, "Because there's _nothing_ to remember! Why would I ever associate with a git like you?"

The Malfoy heir breathed hard, trying to ignore his heart breaking. A moment earlier, all his emotions were a whirlwind inside of him. Now, he felt nothing.

"Have I come at a bad time?"

All eyes turned towards the new voice. Healer Ambrosia Applegate was a short, somewhat round woman with curly black hair that framed her head like a ball. Thick, black rimmed glasses sat perched on her pert nose as she smiled wearily at the group, "I really can come back at another time. I just wanted to check if Miss Weasley had woken up—oh dear Merlin, it's Harry Potter!"

* * *

It had taken a moment for Ambrosia to regain her composure after realizing she was in the presence of the famous Harry Potter. Although she had treated several celebrities in her time, apparently the medic witch had always fancied the Boy-Who-Lived. The same school-girl crush that many witches all over the world carried.

Frankly, Ginny found it amusing as hell.

Once again sitting on the short edge of her hospital bed with her feet dangling over, Ginny complied easily while Ambrosia completed all her wellness checks. Harry and Ron had been asked to excuse themselves in order to help diffuse the earlier situation and now only her mother and Hermione sat in wooden chairs against the wall next to her bed. The redhead pointedly ignored the male figure in black robes that was leaning against the wall next to Hermione. She had protested when Draco was invited to stay by Ambrosia, but Hermione's gentle assurance that he should stay quieted her.

"Well, it seems that you're fighting fit, Miss Weasley!" Ambrosia chirped, putting her wand into the inside folds of her uniform. "Now what's this I heard about you not being able to remember something?"

"I…don't know." Ginny answered, her gaze turning towards the ground.

Ambrosia smiled kindly, "Today is the same day that you hit by the bludger, do you know today's date, Miss Weasley?"

Ginny paused for only a moment before answering, "February twenty-fifth…I think. Might be the twenty-sixth, I'd have to check."

Ambrosia's features did not betray her thoughts, "And what year is it, Miss Weasley?"

Ginny's head tilted, "Two-thousand and four." Ginny turned her head to the side when she heard her mother gasp. She could see the disappointment and compassion on the Weasley matron's face and she began to feel a slight panic. Turning her gaze to look at Hermione, the brunette only smiled weakly at her. "What's wrong?" The youngest redhead in the room asked, "Why're you all staring at me like that?"

"Ginny…" Hermione started, standing up and glancing at Ambrosia as if to ask for permission to continue. The healer nodded her head and the Ministry witch took a few steps towards Ginny and grasped one of the chaser's hands in her own, "It's not February…it's April fifteenth. And it's not two-thousand and four…it's…" Hermione trailed for just a moment before forcing herself to finish, "It's two-thousand and six."

Ginny's brown eyes flew wide open, "What?" Her mouth hung agape and she had to tell herself to remember to breath. "Are you telling me that…" The chaser's gaze drifted away from Hermione and to the blonde man standing in her peripheral vision. He was wearing a mask of stoicism, and had been silent since she had last yelled at him. But within his misty gray gaze, she could see leaking through the cracks of his indifference, some stirring of emotion.

Draco, for his part, felt like putting his face in his hands. It was little wonder that his fiancée didn't remember them. It made sense now. They hadn't met again after the war until early 2005.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Weasley." Ambrosia said, her smile a little weaker now. "This happens sometimes in accidents like yours. Your head was hit and despite a complete physical recovery…sometimes a patient's memory can be compromised. I'm afraid you have a rather dense case an amnesia."

"Aren't there healing charms for this?" Molly asked, now standing and her eyes imploring, "My baby girl won't even remember winning Star Female Chaser of the Year."

"Wait!" Ginny's head whipped back to face her mother, "I won that? When? How? You're not joking are you, mum?"

"I'm afraid not, Mrs. Weasley." The healer said solemnly in contrast to Ginny's sudden excitement, "Memory charms have been mastered to eliminate real memories and to create false memories. But successful spells to regain lost, real memories have yet to be seen."

"Then we can give her our memories through a pensieve."

Despite not wanting to look at him, Ginny found her gaze directed towards the Slytherin after he made his suggestion. He was standing erect, chiseled face set with hard lines. But there was something in his eyes now that hadn't been there before. Something like hope.

"I'm afraid…" Ambrosia started, paused, and then shook her head. "I cannot recommend that, Mr. Malfoy. I fear doing so would only end in disappointment."

"Why?" The wizard asked slowly and evenly.

"A pensieve is useful for relaying information. It allows the viewer access to the _knowledge_ of events and through which we solve all kinds of mysteries and are able to find patterns." The short healer paused again, finding her words in order to speak precisely, "What a pensieve does not do, is convey emotion. If you gave Miss Weasley your memories, she would understand what events had transpired, but that does not give her the feelings and experiences of those moments."

When Draco opened his mouth to respond, Ambrosia held up a hand to stop him as she continued her explanation, "It would be like telling your seven-year-old self to eat asparagus because you like it when you're older. I don't imagine anyone's younger self would listen. Your younger self couldn't force himself to suddenly have your present taste buds. So, just giving her memories won't make her into the person you knew presently."

"So, what do you suggest then?" Draco asked almost challengingly.

"What I suggest," Ambrosia said, focusing her attention on Ginny, "is that you go home, Miss Weasley. Rest up, eat a good breakfast in the morning, and thank your lucky stars for another day of life. Try to live life normally and maybe the memories that were lost will come back to you. But don't get discouraged and beat yourself up if they don't. You're still you whether you remember a few things or not."

Ginny's gaze was on the floor, her features blank as she absorbed all the information she had been given. "But, can I ask about the memories? Can they tell me about them?"

"Oh, of course." Ambrosia nodded, "Ask away. Look at pictures. It may help the memories to come back. What we want is for those memories to return naturally and not through contrived means or by forcing them upon you as a pensieve might do." The healer smiled as she adjusted her glasses. "But most of all, Miss Weasley. My recommendation is that you focus on creating new memories instead of chasing the old ones."

* * *

Ambrosia had recommended against apparating for at least a week to ensure Ginny would not suffer from vertigo. As such, they availed themselves of St. Mungo's Floo Network to get home. Although weary of going home to the place she and Draco apparently now shared, Ambrosia had said that being there might help her memories to resurface. Hardly believing that she would want memories with Draco to resurface, Ginny once again complied with Hermione's comforting reassurances. Ginny parted from her mother and sister-in-law with long hugs and promises that they would have many dinners together that week to help Ginny catch up on all the things she had forgotten.

When Ginny arrived in the foreign fireplace, she blinked owlishly at Faust House. It was decorated elegantly and simply with mostly dark furniture contrasting the richly colored walls. Draco stood just a few feet from the fireplace, patting himself down from the ashes that stuck to his robes as he muttered something about disliking the Floo Network. He then set aside Ginny's broomstick against the fireplace wall, having retrieved it from the hospital along with her other personal items. Heart racing with the unknown, the chaser stepped out of the fireplace.

"Mistress is home! Mistress is home!" Clamored a high-pitched and warm voice.

Blinking in surprise, Ginny found her leg being hugged by a house-elf that seemed to be all eyes, ears, and smiles. Despite not knowing the creature, she found herself smiling, "H-Hello!" She said a bit shyly, "I'm sorry but…who are you?"

The house-elf released her grasp just enough to stare up at Ginny with wide golden eyes, "Mistress does not remember Jupie?" Relinquishing her hold on her mistress, Jupie took a few steps back from the redhead. Tears beginning to well in the young creature's eyes, she grasped the pillow case adorning her with one hand and began beating herself on the head with the other, "Bad Jupie! Done something terrible that the Mistress does not know her! Bad Jupie! Bad Jupie!"

"Oh no!" Ginny exclaimed and fell to her knees at once, grabbing onto Jupie's arm to keep her from continuing to hit herself, "No, not at all, Jupie! It's not your fault. I was...I was hurt today. I've forgotten most things, I'm afraid. Please stop hitting yourself!"

"That's enough, Jupie."

Both golden and brown eyes turned to look at Draco. He was stone-faced as ever and his soft voice carried an authority that made Ginny shiver. "Ginny's had a long day so refrain from asking too many questions. Prepare the west guest room for me and see that Ginny has everything she needs for the night."

Immediately upon receiving orders, the house-elf bowed her head in reverence and replied meekly, "Yes, Master Malfoy." With that, she disappeared in a puff of smoke, presumably to do as he had bid her.

"Come," Draco said as he turned on his heel and began walking out of the room, "I'll show you to your room."

Standing up quickly and following him, Ginny summoned her courage. She was not afraid of Malfoy, she only felt uncertain in this new reality that had been thrust upon her. It was the ambiguity of it all that made her feel awkward and small.

"Jupie—is she your house-elf?" Ginny spoke in a polite manner while looking at the back of Draco's head. She had resolved to be civil towards the Malfoy heir seeing as everything earlier had been a misunderstanding.

Draco led her through a hallway and into a small but beautifully decorated common area, "Ours. Yes."

Ginny felt a wave of trepidation wash over her. _Their_ house. _Their_ house-elf. Expectations of who people, namely Draco, expected her to be were mounting and Ginny was beginning to feel like a square struggling to fit into a circular hole. Not that Draco was by any means overwhelming her at the moment; but she had seen the hope in his eyes earlier. What would he do if she never regained her memories?

They began to ascend a wooden stairway with ornate iron handrails. Along the walls of the stairway were several pictures. Some pictures she recognized as some of her favorite moments with her family and some were of moments with her family that she could not recall. Then there were pictures of complete strangers—people she could only assume were relations of the Malfoy's. Ginny paused halfway up the steps to stare closer at one picture, trying her best to see despite the dim lighting from a hanging chandelier. It was a picture of her and Draco.

Ginny in the picture was standing in front of a kneeling Draco, nodding vigorously as he slipped a ring onto her hand and stood up to kiss her. They were dressed in winter robes and seemed to be in an old-fashioned but expensively decorated house. Surrounding them was Ginny's family as well as a stern and unamused looking couple that Ginny recognized as Draco's parents.

"That," Draco said from a few steps above, having stopped when he failed to hear Ginny's steps continue behind him, "is from the night I proposed to you."

Ginny did not glance up at him, instead watching again and again as she accepted Draco's proposal and Hermione and George cheered in the background. Other family members clapped politely, but not all seemed particularly enthused. Draco took a few steps down so that he stood close to her now, but not so close as to be oppressive.

"I had wanted to do something much more…grand." Draco continued, looking at the picture as well, "Maybe while riding on a Welsh Green dragon or during a vacation to New Zealand. Something that you could never forget. But family was always the most important to you. We were both worried about how our families would get on and we'd never had both our families together under one roof for dinner." The Slytherin chuckled, "I suppose getting Mother and Father to allow your family into Malfoy Manor was as impossible a feat as they come. Maybe even more monumental than riding a dragon, I suppose."

Ginny looked up at Draco, unbelief apparent in her face, "My family…had dinner with your family...and no one ended up dead?"

Draco smirked, "Impressive, isn't it? I can't take all the credit for the idea though—Hermione helped. She said something like this would mean more to you than a holiday somewhere and fireworks." Turning around and ascending the stairs once more, the Malfoy heir called out to her, "Come along, Weasley. I'm tired. I'll explain the rest of the pictures to you tomorrow."

Snorting Ginny finally turned away from the pictures hanging on the walls and trotted up the steps, " _You're_ tired? You're not the one that was hit by a bludger, Ferret."

They reached the top landing and Draco spoke without turning to look at her, "You were asleep for almost half the day. Some of us didn't have that luxury."

"No one asked you to stay at the hospital with me." Ginny retorted and felt her resolve to be civil towards the Slytherin beginning to weaken. Looking around at the halls and rooms they passed, all lit by magical candles, the redhead was taken aback by the elegant beauty of the structure and design. "So, you and I really live here?" Ginny asked, following Draco down another hall, "Together?"

She heard Draco exhale a sigh, "Yes, for almost four months now. We moved to Faust House in January."

"And we're…engaged."

Draco turned a corner and led Ginny to room with an ornate doorframe that had woodworking which resembled pillars on either side of the door. Pausing to give Ginny a look that seemed to say, "Are you serious?" Draco said in a completely dead-panned voice, "No. I faked the engagement picture we just looked at on the stairs and I just like to live with hot-tempered, tomboy Gryffindors because of the lovely company they make."

"Oh, I'll show you hot-tempered..." Ginny challenged as Draco opened the door and stepped inside. Draco stood to the side of the entrance and held the door open for his companion. As the youngest Weasley entered the room, she was gently enveloped with a sense of peace and belonging that caused her to hush in her remarks. She had no memories of this place, but the air of the room made her bones settle and breathing easier. A large, four-poster bed was in the middle of the room adorned a comforter of wine red and soft gray and matching pillows. Dressers of dark wood and a vanity with a silverframed mirror lined the walls and a trunk was laid at the foot of the bed. It was simple, like the rest of the house, and tidy thanks to Jupie.

"I'll leave to you to get comfortable. You have plenty of clothes in the closet and there's some candy in the left bedside table in case your sweet tooth isn't one of the things you've forgotten."

Ginny stuck her tongue out at Draco and replied dryiy, "Didn't you say you were leaving? Don't keep me in suspense."

Draco was already moving to leave the room and held the door handle with one hand. "Jupie should be back to check on you shortly. Let her know if you need anything." He paused and pursed his lips as if he wanted to say something more. Thinking better of it, the Slytherin turned away his gaze and said curtly, "I'll see you in the morning. Good night, Ginny." Without waiting for a response, he shut the door and his footsteps could be heard going down the hall.

Feeling both relieved and lonely upon being alone for the first time after waking from the sleeping charm, Ginny took one more look around the bedroom. She made her way to the bed and fell onto it, face-first. All the fatigue from the day's events finally caught up with her and made itself known in aching muscles. Turning her face to the side, Ginny inhaled deeply and relished the lavender scent that had been infused with the freshly cleaned sheets.

Despite having slept at the hospital for several hours, the redhead found herself wanting to give into the black unconsciousness that seduced her senses. But upon kicking off her shoes and turning to face the left bedside table, something shiny caught her eye. Tilting her head and crawling on the bed towards it, she picked up the object with gentle fingers. It was a ring. A large diamond was perched upon entwining lines of platinum and gold, studded with smaller diamonds. On either side of the main diamond were two sapphires, cut in the shape of leaves or petals and accenting the large jewel so perfectly Ginny's lips made a small 'o'.

This was…probably her engagement ring, she realized.

"Oookay…" Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Ginny fell back against the plush pillows at the head of the bed and held the ring up to her face. She twisted it around in her hand, unable to keep herself from just staring at it. Despite her exhaustion from the day's events and the way her muscles ached, she knew chasing after sleep would be as difficult as catching a snitch. Too much to think about. Too much she didn't know. Too much…of everything.

It wasn't that Draco completely disgusted her anything. After the war, and given enough time, her tempered feelings towards him had cooled. But there certainly weren't any warm feelings towards him. What she just didn't understand was how she could have fallen so in love with him in just a year or two that she would move in with him. Much less be engaged to him! What had happened between her and Harry?

"Oh, Ginny…" She whispered to herself, "What were you thinking?"

 _ **To be continued…**_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hello Friends! I wrote out this chapter, deleted it, and complete rewrote it. So, thanks for waiting!

I have to confess: I'm usually a planner that has every chapter mapped out, but for this story, I'm just writing as it comes. Though I do have a general idea of what will happen and where to steer the ship. It's fun and I hope you're all enjoying! Thank you again for the follows, favorites, and the especially the reviews! You've been an encouraging and kind community! Chocolate frogs for everyone!


	4. Chapter 4

**Remember Me**

 **Chapter Four**

 _Sunday - April 16, 2006_

Sleep never actually came to Draco that night, but he kept trying nonetheless. He had hoped that by going to sleep, he would wake up and realize all this had been a ridiculous dream.

He would wake up in his own bed, the warmth of Ginny next to him wearing the white night slip that made him lose his bloody mind and all inhibition. He would wake up because Ginny's hair was tickling his nose and he'd look down to see her resting her head on his chest, curled up next to him. He would smile, kissing the top of her head and wrap his arm around her, grateful for the tenderness of the moment.

Instead, Draco continuously found himself lying in the west guest room. Alone.

Closing his eyes once again, the Slytherin tried to ignore the sunlight that was beginning to pour into the room. At the moment, he much preferred his fantasies to reality. Then, quite suddenly, his lips slipped into a frown. Did Ginny think of Potter the same way he was thinking of her, he wondered. After all, in her mind, it was still 2004. In her mind, Potter was not just an old friend, he was her current boyfriend.

Well, _that_ thought made it impossible to go back to sleep.

Ripping off the covers and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, Draco sat for a moment as he ran a hand through his blonde hair. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to his feet and made his way to the adjoining bathroom for a shower.

Time to get his fiancé back.

Polished black shoes clipped smartly on the wooden floors as Draco made it down the stairs and walked towards the dining room where he usually ate his breakfast. He could hear the faint sounds of Jupie in the kitchen and expected her to be the only other occupant of the house awake. However, as he approached the doorway to the dining room, Ginny was already sitting in a chair quietly munching on a slice of toast while scanning the sports page of _The Daily Prophet_. Arnold, who must have found his mother sometime last night, was contently sitting in her lap, licking up the crumbs that fell and chomping down on whatever bits Ginny broke off for him.

Most of the other pages of _The Daily Prophet_ lay to the side of the table, ignored, as Ginny sat comfortably in her plush dining room chair. She was wearing dark blue, loose-fitted pajama pants and a white sleeveless shirt that clung alluringly to the curves of her athletic frame. Her fiery hair was tied up in a messy bun at the back of her head.

"You've made Arnold fat with all those hand-outs, you know."

Ginny lifted her gaze from _The Daily Prophet_ and found her retort caught in her throat. Draco didn't know how to dress casually it seemed, not even in his own home. He was in fitted black dress pants and was finishing the buttons of his dress shirt. Her stare unwittingly remained on his exposed chest. She could see the graceful lines that connected his broad chest to the gentle protrusion of his defined collarbone and long neck. He walked with the same haughty, nonchalant swagger that he had during their Hogwarts years and his still wet hair fell messily to the side as he regarded her with amused gray eyes. He had a constant aura of superiority, mystery, and danger.

Damn. Draco Malfoy was sexy.

Ginny almost blushed at her thoughts. While she could certainly appreciate attractive men, she felt guilty for thinking about Draco in that way. But why should she feel guilty? She was his fiancée, wasn't she?

But she knew why she felt guilty. It was for the simple fact that just yesterday, she thought she was going to marry Harry Potter.

"I'm surprised you're already awake."

Ginny must have been thinking for too long because Draco had started a new conversation as he took the seat across the table from her. The dining table was rectangular and long, with enough chairs for her entire family to be seated should the occasion ever arise. Ginny supposed that was one of the reasons this piece of dark wooden furniture had been selected.

"What do you mean?" Ginny said as Draco poured himself some coffee, "I'm always up early."

Draco snorted as he raised his cup to his lips, "You're joking!"

"I'm not!" Ginny retorted with a furrowed brow and slight pout.

Setting down his cup after taking a long drink, the Slytherin at the table let his gaze settle on the woman in front of him. Ginny did a good job of hiding it, but he could see that she hadn't slept much last night either. "You sleep in like a dragon over his hoard."

"Well maybe the Ginny you remember did, but I don't." The redhead said defiantly and finished the last bite of her toast.

Draco frowned and turned his gaze away. "I suppose so."

Things were awkward between them. Things were _terribly_ awkward between them. Neither knowing what to say and even if they had something to say, not knowing how to say it. So, silence enveloped them, making the air feel a little colder.

"I think we should decide how much we're going to let the world know about your amnesia." Draco finally said, breaking the silence. "Reporters are no doubt going to be asking for your story the moment you're out in public."

Ginny, who had been trying fruitlessly to continue reading the latest on the top Quidditch teams and the upcoming match schedules, glanced up at Draco and sighed as she spoke, "Yeah, I had been thinking about that."

"The healer from St. Mungo's is sworn to keep everything confidential and we should keep it that way."

"Then what would I say to people?" Ginny asked, mulling over her options, "I don't like the idea of lying to everyone, and what if people expected me to know something that I don't remember?"

"You're smart enough to get around those kinds of situations," Draco said easily.

"Wow." Ginny cut Draco off, "Did you just compliment me? Maybe _you_ need to go to St. Mungo's."

Draco ignored her antics and continued, "I'm more concerned about people taking advantage of you if they knew you didn't remember the past two years."

Rolling her eyes when the Slytherin did not react to her jab, Ginny's gaze focused on the dark wood of the dining room table. She wouldn't admit it out loud but Draco was right. "So," she said slowly, "I'll just tell my family."

"No." Draco refuted quickly, "We don't tell anyone in your family besides the ones that already know."

The redhead's stare snapped up to focus on the blonde, eyes narrowed, "What? Why not?"

"The moment we tell Bill, Bill will tell Fleur and then half the wizarding world will know faster than you can say _Wingardium Leviosa_."

"Not if we tell them not to say anything. Honestly, they're smarter than that and they would never betray me."

"Not intentionally." Draco said firmly. "But all someone like Rita Seeker needs to get a story is the slightest implication or misspoken word. We don't tell anyone outside of George, Ron…and maybe Percy. By the time Charlie ever comes around to visit, this will have all blown over already."

"I understand the concern, Malfoy." Ginny replied steadily despite feeling irritated. She understood that the Slytherin felt like he could speak for her as they were intimately related, but she did not harbor that feeling of closeness, and his assertion into her life felt overbearing and unwelcome. "But it's my amnesia, my family, and my decision. I agree with you that I shouldn't tell the media that my amnesia is for the past two years—maybe just the past few days will be believable enough—but I trust my family. Every single one of them."

Draco clenched his jaw, biting back his argumentative words. All he wanted was to keep Ginny safe, but he couldn't do that if she didn't trust him. "Fine." He said softly before lapsing into silence. At least, he comforted himself, she wouldn't expose this to the wizarding world. To his parents. Merlin knew he didn't need them knowing and having another reason why they felt he should break off their engagement.

They fell into an uncomfortable silence that seemed to stretch for hours. Every second made Draco feel a little more like pulling out his own hair. Honestly, he didn't know how to talk to Ginny anymore and as frustrating as that was, what irritated him more was that he could feel the wedge between them to growing and he didn't know how to stop it.

"I have some essays to grade." Draco finally said and his chair made a scrapping sound against the wood floor as he slid back in his chair. Standing up, the blonde silently cursed himself for not being able to…to what? Make Ginny laugh? Carry on a real conversation? Connect with her on a mental or emotional level?

He cursed himself for everything. For loving her so much and not knowing how to help her or himself. "After that," Draco continued, "we'll go out for lunch. Be ready at noon."

"Essays to grade?" The Gryffindor asked with a tilted head and a curious expression. Then, the redhead blinked as realization dawned on her, "That's right! Neville said that you began teaching at Hogwarts, isn't it? What class? Transfiguration? Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"Potions." Draco said with a smirk.

Ginny made a face, "You would pick that subject."

"Why not? It was your favorite subject. Besides flying classes, of course."

Ginny blinked in surprise, "How did you…?" She hardly ever told anyone. Even after Snape's death, Gryffindors held Potions class in contempt and carried a negative stigma towards it. She never really chose to mention how much she enjoyed the study of potions.

"You told me when I was courting you."

"Courting me?" Ginny laughed softly and smiled a bit shyly at Draco's old-fashioned perspective on dating. "I guess I must have trusted you then. I hardly tell anyone that."

"You did." Draco nodded. "And you will again."

Ginny's brown eyes met Draco's gray gaze. His tone was confident and his eyes were warm, something she hadn't expected to ever see in his eyes when looking at her.

"I'll meet you downstairs at noon." Bowing his head in goodbye, the Slytherin exited the room. As he ascended the stairs, he released a breath he didn't even realize he had been holding. Smirking slightly, he felt his heart pounding—strong and excited. She had laughed, even if it was only a chuckle. But was enough to make Draco feel like he wasn't defeated.

Draco took her to _The Niffler Café_ , a small breakfast and lunch establishment started by a Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw couple situated in the heart of Diagon Alley. Since its opening a year ago, it had become one of Ginny's favorite places as the owners took several precautions as to who could floo into their establishment. In addition, they had placed wards against all manner of reporter tricks. Not even the famed Rita Seeker had been able to invade the tea shop—that alone was a testament of the café's security. As such, several celebrities were known to take refuge within the brown brick walls of the café. As Ginny continued to climb in her Quidditch career, the more difficult it became to simply go out in public and be treated as a normal person and so, places such as _The Niffler_ had become sanctuaries.

Seated in a booth along the wall, Ginny's brown eyes wandered over every inch of the cozy café. The brick walls were adorned with elegant, golden lanterns as well as every manner of shining décor—the very things that a Niffler would be attracted to. Every square table, usually prepared as tables for two, had a sound muffling charm placed so that conversations could not easily be eavesdropped on. So, while it was easy to see the other patrons of the café, it was almost impossible to make out any sounds except for muted whispers and the din of plate ware.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Malfoy and Miss Ginny! Thank you for joining us today." A young witch, probably only a few years younger than Ginny, was suddenly at the table in a maroon red uniform. "Can I get you your usual today?"

The youngest Weasley stared blankly at the witch in front of her for only a moment before Draco answered the question. "Yes," he replied with a slight smile. "The usual would be great. Thanks."

Smiling broadly, the young serving witch nodded, "Of course, Mr. Malfoy. I'll be back in just a moment!" With that, she was dashing off to the kitchen to put in their order.

"Well…" Ginny started, feeling obliged to start a conversation. "This is a nice place."

"You've liked it ever since it opened last year." Draco replied matter-of-factly, "You're on a first name basis with all the serving witches and wizards here. Unfortunately, I can't help you with that part. I never remember any of them."

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me." Ginny said without malice but without any warmth either. Literally biting her tongue, Ginny felt like screaming on the inside. She was frustrated by the obligatory niceties she felt restrained to in this life that had been thrust upon her. She couldn't stand Draco continually telling her everything she was and wasn't. Before leaving the house, he had rambled off some " _suggestions_ " about how she _usually_ dressed, how she _usually_ wore her hair, and how she _usually_ talked to fans in case any approached them. Honestly, she just wanted to be herself—making jokes and laughing, finding adventures throughout the normalcy of life, and not being afraid to play Quidditch with the boys. But with Draco—her fiancé, a person she didn't even feel comfortable around—being his proper, distant, ultra-polite yet arrogant, mysterious, and attractive self, Ginny wasn't sure how to act.

She had honestly meant to leave that descriptor out.

"Here we are!" The serving witch announced her arrival as she neared the couple's table. Floating in the air around her were several china plates with carefully arranged snacks. First, the young woman reached for a glass pitcher and poured Draco a glass of water with no ice and set a small bowl of lemons on the table. Next, she poured a cup of—what Ginny guessed—was green tea and set the cup down with a matching saucer. Lastly, she placed two plates in front of them. In front of Draco, there were now precisely cut triangle sandwiches and for Ginny, there was an artfully crafted cauldron cake and a half sandwich filled with tomato and cheese.

Smiling at her handiwork, the serving witch turned to Ginny, "You're so quiet today, Miss Ginny!"

"Oh, um…" Ginny made her lips spread into a smile, "Sorry. Just a little tired today, I guess."

"Oh!" The maroon adorned woman said, "That's right! You were at St. Mungo's last night, weren't you? Nasty blow to the head, I heard. So sorry, I didn't even ask about how you were. I mean, we're not supposed to ask our patrons anything we read in the papers, but I know you wouldn't mind Miss Ginny. Oh, but now I'm rambling. Are you doing fine now, Miss Ginny? Except for being tired, of course."

"Perfect." Ginny assured with a sincere smile this time. The girl was sweet.

"Oh good! Well, enjoy your meal. Let me know if I can do anything for you."

Ginny looked down at her cauldron cake—which had been charmed to be bubbling as a real cauldron would—and found herself smiling. Well, at least 2006 Ginny still had good taste in food. Raising a hand to pick up her triangle-shaped sandwich, Ginny watched from the corner of her eye as Draco dropped a lemon into his water before drinking from it. He was being quieter than he had been at breakfast, which meant that if she wanted to learn more about the life she'd forgotten, she would have to drive the questions.

"So, what's it like being engaged to a Weasley?"

Draco set down his glass and looked up at Ginny when she raised her question, "In what way?"

"I mean…how did my family take it? I always thought my brothers would scare off anyone that tried marrying me besides Harry, but you're still here so…I'm curious."

Draco's lips twitched at the mention of The Boy Who Lived but chose not to say anything of it, "It would take more than redheaded monkeys to scare me off." When Ginny only smiled and held in a laugh, Draco decided to continue, "They didn't trust me at first, everyone except for George and Percy. And now, I suppose they trust that I'm genuine in my feelings, but most of them don't think I'm good enough for you." Draco's gray eyes settled on Ginny and he paused for a moment until her eyes lifted to meet his. "And I don't disagree with them, but I wasn't going to let that stop me."

Ginny turned her gaze to the side before forcing herself to bark out a laugh in order suppress the heat rising in her cheeks, "Hah! Humility from a Malfoy? I must be dreaming."

"Lose a Knut to find a Galleon." Draco replied with his trademark haughty and mischievous smirk. He felt the same hope from breakfast bubbling inside of him at the sight of Ginny's smile. "If it makes you feel better, Ronald and your mother would much rather I fall off a hippogriff and break my neck than see you change your last name to Malfoy."

Of all the people in her family to hold resentment towards the Malfoys, Ginny wasn't surprised that it would be her mother and Ron. But after thinking about what the blonde had said, Ginny raised an eyebrow, "Hey! Who said I would change my last name? My whole career is built off the name of Weasley, why would I go and change it just because I got married?"

"Our marriage will be on one of the first three pages of every noteworthy newspaper or magazine. I'm fairly certain you won't have to worry about anyone being confused as to your identity."

"Well, that's presumptuous of you."

"The world's current Best Chaser of the Year and the sole Malfoy heir are getting married. I'm not presuming anything." Draco leaned back confidently in his seat, "It's just a fact that we're the wizarding world's most enviable couple."

"That still doesn't mean I have to change my name."

"You'll come around." The Malfoy heir replied confidently with a smirk and proceeded to finish one of his sandwiches.

"If you think that, you obviously don't know who you're dealing with." Ginny retorted fearlessly.

Draco only shrugged his shoulders and continued to smirk while eating his food, signaling the end of that conversation.

For once, the silence that passed between them was almost bearable. However, just as Ginny swallowed her first bite of cauldron cake—which was absolutely divine!—she found her voice again, "So, how do your parents feel about…us?"

"They've come to accept it." Draco replied simply.

"What does that mean?"

"It means that they accept that I've made the decision to marry you and that their grandchildren will probably be redheads."

"And are they happy about that decision?"

Draco paused before answering, debating how much to explain. "Obviously, they weren't ecstatic about it and it's no secret that if we were to end our engagement that they wouldn't bat an eye. But they respect our decision. They know you've become a respectable witch throughout the wizarding world, you're a world-famous celebrity so there's no chance you're just marrying me for the Malfoy fortune, and you're a pureblood so they really don't have any grounds to complain."

"Wow." Ginny said with a deep inhale of breath and her lips thinning to an unamused line, "That's really all they care about? That your future wife isn't a tart, has money, and doesn't have any Muggle blood? I can understand the first two but seriously, your family still believes in bloodline superiority?"

"No," Draco corrected, "They care that my future wife is a respectable witch who will raise their grandchildren honorably, that she wants me for me and not my fortune, and…well as far as blood status, they're a product of centuries of pureblood upbringing. It's what they know."

"Yeah, I don't know why I would expect any different." Ginny scoffed, "We only went through an entire Wizarding War where the whole idea of blood status was shot to hell. But I guess all that's irrelevant."

Draco closed his eyes for a moment before looking at Ginny with a long-suffering stare, "It's not like that. You can't expect people to suddenly change what they grew up believing. Abolishing centuries of tradition takes more than a single lifetime."

"And what about you?" Ginny said with a huff, her eyes narrowed slightly, "Do you still think there's a difference between wizards and witches because of blood status?" The question hung in the air for a moment before Ginny amended her question, "If I was a Muggle-born, would you still have wanted to marry me? Would you have even dated me?"

Looking down at his glass of water, the blonde said in an exasperated voice, "I don't know, Ginny."

"Seriously? That's all you have to say?"

"I don't know, Ginny!" Draco said, a little louder than he meant to before he bit his tongue and controlled his tone once more. Despite their neighbors not being able to hear them, he still did not want to lose his patience. "I don't know because we're not in that situation right now. I just know that I love you as you are, despite my family not approving of the union of our two houses."

"So," Ginny stiffened and her lips were pulled into a thin line, "even as purebloods my family _still_ isn't good enough? Even after all my family's done."

 _Shit_ , Draco cursed himself. He had been trying to leave that part out. Despite the success of the Weasleys, the Malfoys had never forgiven them for their original poverty. They only had new money, Lucius Malfoy had said once, the Weasleys were without tradition, honor, and reputation except for being ashen-faced redheads in second-hand robes.

"Not for them, no." Draco conceded quietly.

The rest of lunch passed in silence.

Almost two weeks went by since their lunch at _The Niffler Café_ and the ice between the blonde Slytherin and redheaded Gryffindor had done anything but melted. It wasn't for a lack of trying though—on both sides in fact. But Draco could never find the right words to say and as days passed without Ginny regaining any recollection of their life together, his frustration became more apparent. Ginny, for her part, continued to let her temper get the best of her in those moments that Draco allowed himself to become irritated. Though she did want to be on civil terms with the man she was intended towards, she often could hardly muster enough desire to make it all work.

On Thursday night, during a particularly quiet dinner together, Ginny glanced up from her soup at the pale man in front of her. Draco was still dressed in his black dress robes from teaching that day. He looked tired as his eyes settled on yet another essay that he was grading. "Malfoy," Ginny said a bit tensely.

Lifting his gaze from the parchment, Draco parted his lips to speak in a civil tone, "Weasley."

Fighting the urge to wring her hands nervously, Ginny cursed herself. She didn't like feeling as if she had to ask Draco for permission for what she was about to say. "I'd like to—I'm going to my parent's on Saturday."

Draco shrugged. They had been to The Burrow several nights since Ginny's accident, this didn't seem like anything to bat an eye at. "Fine, we can go."

"I've already owled mum," Ginny continued, "and she's fine with me staying the night there as well."

At this, Draco raised a brow and turned his full attention to his fiancée. "If you really feel like staying the night is necessary, I'll pack an overnight bag." 

"I'd like to go alone." Ginny replied curtly, but there was no malice there. "I think I just want to be with my family."

The potions master schooled his features to a stoic expression, only his jaw visibly tensed. He had heard Ginny explicitly speaking in the singular, but he had dared to hope that she wouldn't stop him from coming along. Ginny spent enough time with her family during his working hours, especially in the past two weeks since her accident as she had been relieved from Quidditch practice until the upcoming Monday. He hadn't slept in a different house than Ginny in almost a year now. Getting used to being in separate rooms had been bothersome enough. But what if this became a slippery slope where she eventually no longer even wanted to stay at Faust House?

But what else could say?

"Of course." Draco said as he stood up from his chair and began gathering the small stack of essays he had been working on. "I'm going to Hogwarts early tomorrow so I'll be turning in now. If I don't see you before you leave tomorrow, buy your mum some flowers for me when you go."

Ginny nodded mutely in response. She felt guilty though she knew she had done nothing wrong. It wasn't a sin or a crime to want some space.

"Good night." Draco said as he was exiting the room and in response he heard Ginny's faint whisper.

"Good night, Malfoy."

 _ **To be continued…**_

 **Author's Note:** Hello Friends! I cannot express how grateful I am for the kindness and supportive community you all have been. You are truly beautiful people! If you have any questions, concerns, or constructive criticism please feel free to let me know. Also—what house are you in? I'm a Thunderbird-Hufflepuff!

Also, I realized that dates useful in keeping up with this fic, so I've added dates to the headers of each chapter. Thanks again for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting!


	5. Chapter 5

**Remember Me**

 **Chapter Five**

 _Saturday - April 29, 2006_

* * *

 _Granger-Weasley Residence_

"Listen Harry, this is a _golden_ opportunity. You can't pass this up!"

Ron was standing the middle of his kitchen, a wooden spoon in one hand and wearing a light pink apron with frills along the edges. Hand stitched on the front of the apron in white thread were the words: "Kiss the Witch". The cooking apron had been a present to Hermione from Molly, but as the brunette's career within the Ministry continued to climb, there had been little opportunity to use the gift as her time was spent outside of homemaking. So little opportunity, in fact, that Ron was going hungry and Hermione only allowed him to call upon pizza delivery services once a week.

Delivery pizza, in Ron's opinion, was by far the best muggle tradition in the world. It completely made up for the inconveniences of opting to live in a muggle neighborhood. The decision to live in a muggle neighborhood stemmed from Hermione's desire for her parents to visit easily. While Ron initially had misgivings and much hesitation, he eventually became quite an expert on all things muggle and was proud of showing off his newly acquired knowledge and lifestyle.

Learning to cook had not been on Ron's to-do list along with this new lifestyle, but when his wife attempted to cook, he usually found something to complain about. Growing up with an excellent cook for a mother had given him too high of expectations. One of the last times Hermione had attempted to develop her culinary skills, it had ended with an argument and her exclaiming, "Well then you cook dinner from now on!"

And so, Ron did.

Having his mother's recipes to call upon, the youngest Weasley son took to cooking more easily than anyone had expected. The craziest part, was that Ron's cooking was good. His hours working for Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes allowed him more time and flexibility to experiment in the kitchen and, motivated by his desire for good food, he actually began to enjoy the culinary arts.

"No matter what she remembers or doesn't remember, she's still engaged, Ron." Harry sighed out, sitting at the granite kitchen island.

"Yeah, engaged to a complete arse." Ron harrumphed while turning his back to Harry to stir a pot on the kitchen stove. He paused for a moment, tasted the broth of his beef stew and then reached into a cupboard to retrieve a spice and expertly added it to the bubbling pot.

"Malfoy's changed since our school days." Harry said simply, wishing to change the subject but also finding himself failing to do so. "And besides, Gin's happy with him. That's all that really matters."

"Ugh, Harry! Come on!" The redhead turned off the stove and moved the large pot off the heated burner before turning around and facing The-Boy-Who-Lived. "Don't give me the sacrificial hero bull. Look, I stopped talking to you about Ginny when she made it clear that she and Malfoy were getting married this year. I said my piece when they were dating but haven't brought it up _once_ since they've been engaged. But this whole amnesia thing completely changes the game!"

"Ronald Weasley!" Hermione said with a raised, stern voice.

Both Harry and Ron turned their heads to look at Hermione as she began to descend the stairs of the two-story home. "Are you _still_ going on about Ginny and Harry?" She sighed with exasperation, "Please, give poor Harry a break."

"No, 'Mione!" Ron retorted quickly, "This is Harry's second chance! Why don't you guys see it? I get it, he messed up before and they broke up, blah, blah, blah. But if they get back together now, he knows how not to piss Ginny off and I can finally have the brother-in-law I deserve and my baby sister will be happy for the rest of her life instead of marrying into a pretentious, cold-hearted family of snakes!" Ron looked at his wife and friend incredulously, not understanding why they didn't agree with his perfect logic. "It's killing two birds with one stone, 'Mione! Fifty points for Gryffindor!"

"It's not that simple." Hermione frowned. "And this isn't about _you_ and what _you_ think _you_ deserve! Honestly! This is about what's best for Harry and Ginny."

"I _am_ thinking about what's best for Harry!" Ron exclaimed, taking off the pink apron and pulling out his wand. Wordlessly he cast a cleaning spell and all the dirty dishes floated over to the sink where they were scrubbed, rinsed, and set on a drying rack. "We all know he's been beating himself up for ending things with Ginny and he's been more depressed than ever since—"

"Hey." Harry frowned and glared at Ron, "I haven't been—"

Ron held up a hand to silence his friend, "Let me finish, Harry. All I'm saying is that everyone, myself included, will be much happier if Harry and Ginny give it another go and I think this is Harry's chance!"

"So, what do you expect Harry to do, Ron?" Hermione said with a hand on her hip, raising a brow in defiance, "Are you really encouraging him to go after another man's fiancée? Honestly, Ron! That's wrong on multiple levels."

"Oh, calm down, woman." Ron said waving his hand dismissively before crossing his arms in front of him. "I'm not saying anything like that, really. I'm just saying that if Harry were to let Ginny know how he still feels about her, then she could make her own choice about whether or not to leave Malfoy. If he doesn't, he's going to regret not saying anything for the rest of his miserable life." Unfolding his arms and throwing one up in the air, Ron continued, "Besides, is it fair for Ginny to get married to a bloke she doesn't even remember being in love with? Think about Ginny!"

"How can you say that when you're just thinking about yourself!" Hermione exclaimed back.

Ignoring his wife, Ron turned to Harry with large brown, pleading eyes. "Look Harry, if you won't do it for you. Do it for me. Do it for _my_ happiness. You can't seriously just stand on the sidelines and allow me to become related to a Malfoy."

Planting her face in one hand, Hermione shook her head, "You're…there isn't even a word that describes you."

Smiling as any tension was diffused with Ron's last omission, Harry stood up from his seat and placed a hand on Ron's shoulder, "Come on, let's get to the Burrow. It's almost dinner time."

* * *

 _The Burrow_

Sitting outside in an old wooden chair, cradling a cup of pumpkin juice between her two hands, Ginny watched as George enchanted random objects from The Burrow's garden to chase Victorie and Dominque—Bill and Fleur's two daughters. The afternoon hours had quickly faded and the evening sky was beginning to stretch across the heavens. Occasional breezes made her long hair dance and fly into her face, bringing with it the scent of impending rain in tomorrow's weather forecast.

All around the house, shouts, giggles, and reprimands could be heard. Delectable smells of freshly baked bread, roasted turkey, and freshly picked garden vegetables wafted through the air. Amid all the chaos and noise from having more than half of the Weasley family within small quarters, there was peace in the Burrow. There was love.

This was home her home.

Inhaling a deep breath and finishing the remains of her pumpkin juice, Ginny grinned widely and jumped to her feet. Deciding that she had been still for long enough, the chaser sprinted towards the younger of the part-veela witches. Extending her arms and letting out a childish battle cry, Ginny caught the toddler in her arms which forced a fit of giggles from the little girl's mouth.

Just as Ginny was beginning to join in the festivities with George in terrorizing their nieces, Victorie suddenly threw up her arms and shouted, "Oncle Harry!" and began running towards the door leading inside.

Eyes widening, Ginny's gaze focused on the window where she could see Ron, Hermione, and Harry had all arrived in time for dinner. Through the slightly hazy glass, the redheaded witch could see Harry hugging her mother and she could not stop her heart from beating faster. Ginny was brought back to reality by the squealing and squirming girl in her arms that wanted desperately to follow her sister inside. Promptly setting the toddler on her own two feet, Ginny watched for a moment as the girl's chubby legs carried her across the span of the garden and through the back door where her entrance elicited an eruption of excited baby cooing.

Turning her brown eyes to look at George, Ginny found her older brother smiling down understandingly at her. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, George gave his younger sister a side hug as they both began a slow walk towards the house. "Remember, it's only awkward if you make it awkward."

Ginny snorted but didn't push her brother away. Fred and George, as annoying as they both were at times, had always been the older brothers that she had needed. Never judging, always honest, and forever loving. George, even without Fred, had not wavered in his brotherly duty of being a constant strength in her life. Even Draco had found friendship with the redheaded entrepreneur, out of all of Ginny's family. Or so Draco had told her.

 _Draco_ … Ginny sighed as she remembered the blonde but pushed the thought out of her mind as quickly as it had come. This was her time with her family, and she wasn't going to spend any time wallowing in any doubts or worries.

* * *

 _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

"Malfoy! What're you doing here?"

Gray eyes lifted from the paper he was grading to the open doorway of his office, standing there was none other than Leon Lokken with his trademark goofy grin. "Working. Foreign concept to you, I know."

Ignoring the jab, the fellow professor stepped into the Slytherin's office. Leon was a fairly tall wizard, reaching just above six feet in height and athletic in build. He kept his navy-blue hair shaved short except for the long tresses at the top of his head that he styled to one side. Born of a Durmstrang schooled father and an Ilvermorny educated mother, Leon had grown up in the United States before moving to London just before his eleventh birthday and thereby making the enrollment list for Hogwarts. He was three years Draco's senior and had begun teaching one school year before the Malfoy heir. Graduating as one of the top of his class, Leon had been an easy pick for the Ministry to offer him a position as an Auror right out of Hogwarts. But after three years, having been on active duty during the Second Wizarding War, Leon had given up the mantle of Auror in favor of teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts and had been in the position for the past five years.

The world _had_ to be at a time of peace if a Hufflepuff could teach Defense Against the Dark Arts.

And Draco must have officially gone mad because this Hufflepuff had become his best friend. A Hufflepuff. There were times Draco wondered if he was too desperate.

"Seriously." Leon continued as he walked up to the student chair in front of Draco's desk and plopped down with a juvenile slouch. "It's Saturday—what are you doing here? I was about to head home after dueling practice when one of the students said they saw you."

"I have work to do." Draco said distractedly, scribbling a comment on the essay in front of him before setting it aside and picking up another, "Some of us professors still have pride and actually assign essays that we aren't too lazy to grade."

Leon smiled cheekily at his friend. It was a well-known fact that Professor Lokken hardly assigned essays for his students, claiming that practicums were much better tests of skill and learning in DADA classes. Most, like Draco, figured it was because the navy-haired man wasn't keen on reading the chicken-scratch all the other professors subjected themselves to. "All right, ass-hat. Out with it. How're things going?"

Draco frowned but still didn't look up from his work, "Everything's fine."

"No really." Leon prodded. "How're you doing? How're you and Gin?"

Despite not wanting anyone outside of family to know about Ginny's condition, Draco had decided that he deserved at least one person that he could talk to about what he was going through. That person, had been Leon. And when Leon said he wouldn't tell a soul, Draco believed him.

"She's at her mother's for the day and staying the night." Draco shrugged as he stared at the messily scribbled writings in front of him without focusing on any of the words. "She said she wanted some space."

"Shit." Leon said with a sigh as he leaned back in his chair. "Sorry, mate."

"She doesn't remember us." Draco found himself saying. Now that he had started talking, the words continued to pour out, "I brought her to all her favorite places, we went over every bloody picture in the house..." Draco finally tossed the essay to the side and leaned back in his hair while running a hand through his hair. "She visits her family and friends and still nothing. I don't know what else is going to bring her memory back—it's been two weeks already."

"Have you tried true love's kiss?" Leon said a bit cheekily.

Draco gave Leon a dead-panned stare.

"Sorry," Leon said with a chuckle, "hard for me to stay serious, you know that."

"You're a terrible friend."

"Blows that I'm your only one, eh?" The DADA professor gave his friend a charming smile before becoming serious once again. "You know, maybe you're going about all this the wrong way."

Draco had been staring off into the distance, Leon's words intrigued him and so he returned his gaze to meet the other man's. "How do you mean?"

"Well, you already tried getting her to remember the last two years by _telling_ her everything that happened. Have you tried just…letting it happen?" Leon sat up in his chair and Draco could hear the gears working in the older man's head. "It's probably frustrating as hell for her—not remembering anything and everyone having expectations. Not to mention having to pretend that nothing's happened. She doesn't need you to be giving her 2006 Ginny tests and quizzes like a professor. She needs you to be your bloody ass-hat self. Merlin knows how she fell for you, but she did. Go out on dates and go to _new_ places. If what you're doing isn't working for you, then you have to try something else."

"I can't just wine and dine her, Lokken. We're practically strangers right now."

"That's exactly what I mean!" Leon was sitting up in his seat now, leaning forward and his eyes sincere, "Gin may never get back her memories. And if that's what you're waiting on…then mate, you might lose her forever."

The words settled over Draco like a heavy blanket, the weight of them silencing him to retreat in his thoughts. Pressing a hand to his lips in chin as he mused, the blonde finally replied, "So, you're saying I need to woo her all over again?"

Leon shrugged, "Whatever you want to call it. But just be yourself and stop worrying about how she'll take it. She can handle you being you as well as she handles a broomstick."

"I'm not going to say that you're right." Draco said slowly, "But it is true that I haven't known how to act around her. I haven't been myself."

"Gin never loved you because you're perfect." Leon stood up, sensing that their conversation was drawing to a close, "So just be your ass-hat self that we've all come to know and tolerate. I don't think you'll regret it."

"Get out before I decide to renege on my vow to never cast an Unforgiveable Curse."

Leon held up both hands as if in surrender and began making his way to the door, "Hey! Don't forget that you promised to help with Dueling Club next week. If you forget I'm telling the students you chickened out."

"I wouldn't miss a chance to embarrass you, Lokken." Draco smirked. Just as Leon was about to head out the door, the blonde spoke up, "Hey Leon. Thanks."

With a smile, Leon nodded his head and went out the door, his footsteps could be heard echoing down the dungeon halls.

Inhaling a deep breath, Draco felt a flitter of hope in his chest as he picked up the essay he had disregarded earlier. He wouldn't give up on Ginny. He couldn't even if he wanted to. Being strangers as they had for the past two weeks had made it hard to breathe at times. But if Ginny couldn't remember the woman she had been for the past two years, then maybe he could at least help her remember the man she had fallen in love with.

* * *

 _The Burrow_

Dinner at the Burrow had been as eventful as ever. Food went flying, arguments over new Ministry policies abounded, and somehow products from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes kept going off despite Molly's best efforts. All in all, Ginny wouldn't have traded the evening for anything.

Hugging Ron and Hermione goodbye before they went into the fireplace to floo home, Ginny stood in the living room of the Burrow for just a moment and watched the emerald embers flicker and die. Bill and Fleur had left first in order to get their two girls to bed. George had left just before Ron and Hermione. Molly and Arthur had retired to bed with a comment about old, aching muscles and bones.

"I guess I had better go too."

Turning around, Ginny's brown eyes met with the gaze of Harry Potter. The messy-haired man was slowly getting out of his seat, a sheepish smile on his face as he felt Ginny's stare on him. It took a second for her to realize that they were the only two remaining people downstairs. Since waking up from her accident, Ginny had been wanting a moment alone with Harry. She had rehearsed over and over the things she would ask and what they would talk about. But now that the moment had come, she hadn't the faintest idea of what to say.

Standing awkwardly, the auror took a step towards Ginny as he glanced up at her face before turning away, "I know that look, there's something on your mind."

Ginny bit her lip before answering slowly, "Harry, would you take a turn in the garden with me before you go?"

Harry's eyes met Ginny's again and he smiled kindly, "Of course, Gin."

Ginny led the way to the back door and relished the feeling of the cool night air on her skin as she stepped out into the night. The redhead's steps were slow and meandering, not having a destination in mind. Although she did not glance over to him, Ginny could hear Harry's footsteps next to her. He was quiet, allowing her all the time she needed to think. Harry had learned to be so patient and compassionate with all the hell he went through during their school years. Such qualities had been why she continued to love him.

But she couldn't love him anymore, could she?

"Why did we break up, Harry?" Ginny finally asked. Her voice sounded loud against the quiet of night and she lowered her voice subconsciously before speaking again, "I mean, I've talk to Hermione about it…but I wanted to hear it from you."

Harry took his time in answering, sticking his hands into his jean pockets as he exhaled a breath and chuckled humorlessly. "Because I was a complete arse, Gin. And I'll regret it the rest of my life."

"I could have told you that." Ginny attempted a weak smile but the joke died quickly in the night air and she continued more quietly, "But really…why?"

"I took us for granted." Harry said simply, "Everyone expected us to be together after the war. We loved each other and we and everyone else just knew that one day…we'd get married."

The youngest Weasley nodded. That was true. It was like it was written in the stars. That's why they had never rushed anything between them. Everything would fall into place when it was supposed to and when they were ready.

"So, we both focused on our jobs and I started missing important things. Your playoff games, family dinners, galas you were invited to. After seeing all the hell going on in the world, I couldn't stop trying to make the world safe for us, for the family we would have one day."

"Your hero complex…" Ginny said with an exhaled breath, shaking her head.

"Yeah." Harry nodded. "I was always gone on an assignment. Missing your birthday was the last straw for you and we had an argument. You said you wanted someone that was around to be in love with and I said…" Harry paused for a moment. His lips pursed and he shook his head, "I said hurtful words back and that…ended it. Ended everything."

Here, Harry stopped walking and raised a hand to rub his eyes before running his fingers through his hair. Again, he chuckled humorlessly, reliving past mistakes and feeling his stomach clench with guilt and regret. "It's sad…pathetic really." Turning his gaze so he could see Ginny standing in front of him, Harry's lips formed a sorrowful smile. "All I ever wanted was to have a family. And when I was given a real chance of having one…I blew it."

They were now facing each other though Ginny was hardly able to meet Harry's gaze. Ginny's heart was hurting, and for once, she didn't know what to say. The silence that passed between them wasn't uncomfortable, but it heavy with thoughts and guilt. When the redheaded chaser still didn't respond, Harry continued with a deep inhale, "Even a year ago I couldn't talk about it with anyone except for Ron and Hermione. But, I've come to accept it. Besides, it I couldn't stay depressed about it when it resulted in you being so happy."

At this comment, Ginny did look up at Harry. He was staring wistfully into the cornfield beside them and his lips were turned upwards in a smile. But even in the dark, Ginny could see that his smile never reached his eyes. "Harry," she said softly, "I'm sorry that I don't remember anything that happened."

The auror shrugged and turned his gaze towards Ginny, smiling kindly, "It's not your fault. Besides, it's better this way. I like to think that this way, you remember more good about me than bad."

Ginny shook her head, "I don't need memory loss in order to remember you for all the good memories rather than the few bad ones."

"Thanks." Harry said quietly, attempting one more time to smile before he let his features go blank.

Without thinking, Ginny pulled Harry into a hug. Maybe it was wrong, maybe it was right. She really didn't care. Harry Potter had become one of her best friends in the whole wizarding world. Like hell she was going to let him stand there hurting and not give him a bloody hug.

After a moment of stunned silence, Ginny felt Harry's familiar hands rest against her as he gently returned her embrace. His face was in her hair and she could feel his breath against her neck. Ginny in turn rested her head on Harry's shoulder—the minimal difference in height between them allowed her to do so. While, she supposed, if she were to try to hug Draco the same way, she would only be able to rest her head against his chest.

 _Draco…_

He kept coming up in her mind.

"You said…" Ginny began quietly and the night wind rustled her hair, "that you couldn't stay sad because I was happy. You meant with Malfoy, didn't you?"

Harry stiffened in her embrace for a moment before he exhaled and his toned muscles relaxed, "Yes."

"So, I guess that means I really loved him, doesn't it? 'Mione talked to me about it, but it's hard to believe when I can't remember why I would want to marry him."

Harry was silent for a time and Ginny almost apologized for talking about something that may have been too painful for him. But he finally responded in a resolute tone and in the voice of an auror commander delivering words he did not want to say but had to, "Then you owe it to yourself to find out."

Pulling away from Ginny's embrace, Harry's emerald eyes stared directly into Ginny's. "Gin, if I had sensed any sign of unhappiness from you, believe me, I would have cursed Malfoy into the last decade, told you that I still loved you, and just hoped that we could give us another go. But…the chance never came and no one looked harder for an excuse to say you shouldn't be together than me. You were happy with him, Gin. You…loved him. And it's not hard to see why he fell hard for you too."

It was there in Harry's eyes. Ginny could see it plainly now that he wasn't guarding himself. Amid the pains and joys of Harry's emotions, there was love in his green eyes. Love for her. There was also a rigid acceptance in the knowledge that Ginny was no longer in a place where she could reciprocate those feelings. There was respect for the man she had chosen to be with instead of him.

Without warning, Ginny pulled Harry into another hug. Squeezing him tight, she said into his ear, "Thank you, Harry." Closing her eyes and biting her bottom lip, the redhead breathed deeply before continuing, "And…I'm sorry for all the bad that happened between us. I know it hurt you."

Harry did not hesitate this time to return her embrace. Holding onto Ginny just as tightly, Harry felt his jaw clench as he fought back the emotion that threatened to color his voice, "I just want you to be happy, Gin." Biting his tongue, Harry held Ginny a little tighter as he almost begged, "Please, just be happy."

 _ **To be continued…**_

* * *

 **Author's Note:** No Draco and Ginny interaction in this chapter—but I felt like it was really necessary for Ginny to get some closure from Harry and for Draco to get a new mindset. Also, I love Ron. I hope this chapter doesn't paint him in a bad light—he really is just looking out for his best friend and his little sister's happiness.

I look forward to seeing you all in the next chapter where Draco and Ginny are reunited!

Thanks for joining the ride! I'm still enjoying the journey and I hope you are too. Thanks for all the reviews, favs, and support!


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